Political Blotter » Immigrationhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics
Politics in the Bay Area and beyondTue, 03 Mar 2015 22:27:34 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1House passes ‘clean’ homeland security fundinghttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/03/03/house-passes-clean-homeland-security-funding/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/03/03/house-passes-clean-homeland-security-funding/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 22:27:34 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=29048About a third House Republicans joined with Democrats on Tuesday to pass legislation fully funding the Department of Homeland Security through this year’s end. Some more conservative Republicans opposed the move, refusing to vote for a bill that doesn’t defund or otherwise roll back President Obama’s executive actions on immigration. But the GOP leadership – [...]]]>

About a third House Republicans joined with Democrats on Tuesday to pass legislation fully funding the Department of Homeland Security through this year’s end.

Some more conservative Republicans opposed the move, refusing to vote for a bill that doesn’t defund or otherwise roll back President Obama’s executive actions on immigration. But the GOP leadership – speaker John Boenher, R-Ohio; Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Bakersfield; and Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La. – all voted for it. The vote was 257-167.

“For the past three months, House Republicans have been playing a dangerous game in which the American people are on the losing end. Today, reason prevailed and the games are finally over. The people charged with protecting our national security deserve more than uncertainty. It is outrageous that Homeland Security funding was held hostage to a partisan debate. This is not how we should govern.

“Americans are rightly sick of the politically manufactured crises they’ve come to expect from this Tea-Party-led Congress. I am grateful to finally move past this brinkmanship and address real challenges. It’s time to get to work doing what the American people sent us here to do, creating economy-boosting jobs that pay enough for hard-working families to get ahead.”

“The top priority of Congress is to ensure the safety of the American people. Today’s vote ensures that our homeland security agents and personnel have the certainty and long term funding necessary to do their critical work of keeping us all safe. I do not support the President’s unilateral executive action on immigration as it flies in the face of the United States Constitution and ignores the will of the people. However, we cannot hold hostage funding for our national security and I will continue to push for a full debate on every aspect of immigration reform.”

“Once again, Leader Pelosi has led the House out of a dire situation by providing the Democratic votes necessary to avert a dangerous partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. The agency will be fully funded through the remainder of the fiscal year, and the American people can be assured that key national security operations will not be interrupted.”

From Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel:

“Our national security will not be shut down. Thankfully enough Republicans put their country before their party and joined with the Democrats to pass a clean DHS bill. Funding for our national security should never be held hostage in a political debate. Those upset by the President’s immigration plan should instead work with us to fix our broken system.”

Senate Conservatives Action, the super PAC arm of the Senate Conservatives Fund, said the one-minute radio ad will air for one week in McCarthy’s home district.

“Americans asked Republican leaders to defund the president’s unlawful amnesty and pledged to run ads against them if they didn’t,” SCF President Ken Cuccinelli, the former Virginia attorney general who lost that state’s 2013 gubernatorial race. “Unfortunately, Congressman Kevin McCarthy didn’t listen so now the grassroots are taking action to hold him accountable. This ad tells McCarthy’s voters what he’s done and urges him to keep his promise.”

But Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, with whom McCarthy sided in supporting and whipping votes for the CRomnibus, issued a statement Thursday night saying the measure merely saves the immigration fight for a more advantageous time by funding the Department of Homeland Security only through Feb. 27.

“This measure puts us on track to save taxpayers more than $2.1 trillion while protecting jobs and supporting our national defense,” Boehner said. “In addition, by the House’s action, we are setting up a direct challenge to the president’s unilateral actions on immigration next month, when there will be new Republican majorities in both chambers.”

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/12/12/conservatives-blast-kevin-mccarthy-for-cromnibus/feed/0Denham, Valadao vote against GOP immigration billhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/12/04/denham-valadao-vote-against-gop-immigration-bill/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/12/04/denham-valadao-vote-against-gop-immigration-bill/#commentsFri, 05 Dec 2014 00:24:52 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=28285The House voted 219-197 today to pass a bill seeking to rein in President Obama’s executive action to protect millions of illegal immigrants from deportation – a purely symbolic move, as the bill is dead on arrival in the Democrat-controlled Senate and would draw the president’s veto, anyway. Three Democrats crossed the aisle to join [...]]]>

The House voted 219-197 today to pass a bill seeking to rein in President Obama’s executive action to protect millions of illegal immigrants from deportation – a purely symbolic move, as the bill is dead on arrival in the Democrat-controlled Senate and would draw the president’s veto, anyway.

Three Democrats crossed the aisle to join 216 Republicans in voting for the bill; seven Republicans crossed the aisle to join 190 Democrats in voting against it. All Bay Area members opposed it.

Among the Republicans voting “nay” were Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, and Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, both of whom represent heavily agricultural Central Valley districts with large Latino populations. Both were among the three House Republicans who last year cosponsored their chamber’s version of the immigration reform bill that the Senate passed with bipartisan support in June 2013.

Denham had issued a statement last month blasting the executive actions. “The President’s decision to bypass Congress and ignore the U.S. Constitution will only further erode trust and create greater obstacles to a lasting fix,” he said in the Nov. 20 statement. “Congress must be involved in fixing our broken system. His actions today deal a harsh blow to our efforts to establish real solutions.”

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/12/04/denham-valadao-vote-against-gop-immigration-bill/feed/2Lofgren defends Obama at immigration hearinghttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/12/02/lofgren-defends-obama-at-immigration-hearing/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/12/02/lofgren-defends-obama-at-immigration-hearing/#commentsTue, 02 Dec 2014 22:28:56 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=28243Rep. Zoe Lofgren rose to President Obama’s defense Tuesday during the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing on his “executive overreach on immigration.” In his opening statement, Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said the president “has just announced one of the biggest constitutional power grabs ever by a president.” “The Obama Administration has crossed the line from [...]]]>

In his opening statement, Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said the president “has just announced one of the biggest constitutional power grabs ever by a president.”

“The Obama Administration has crossed the line from any justifiable use of its authority to a clear violation of his constitutional responsibility to faithfully execute the laws,” Goodlatte said, adding there’s a difference between setting prosecutorial priorities and “setting enforcement-free zones for millions of unlawful aliens.”

“By boldly proclaiming that there will be no possibility of removal for millions of unlawful aliens, President Obama eliminates entirely any deterrent effect our immigration laws have,” he said. “He states plainly that those laws can be ignored with impunity. Such actions will entice others around the world to come here illegally, just like his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program encouraged tens of thousands of unaccompanied alien minors and families from Central America to make the dangerous trek to the United States.”

“By acting lawlessly and assuming legislative power, the Obama Administration is driving full speed ahead to a constitutional crisis, tilting the scales of our three-branch government in his favor and threatening to unravel our system of checks and balances,” Goodlatte concluded. “Rather than working constructively with the new men and women Americans elected to represent them in Congress, the President is making his relationship with Congress increasingly toxic by unconstitutionally acting on his own. Tragically, President Obama’s shortsighted actions have further set back congressional efforts to enact legislation to reform our broken immigration system.”

But Lofgren, D-San Jose, who is the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee, said while the president can’t change the law, he can take action within it – as has every president since Eisenhower.

“The President’s actions are lawful. They are also smart, because they will allow DHS to focus limited resources on serious criminals, recent arrivals, and gang members. Finally, they are consistent with basic American values, like accountability, family unity, and compassion, Lofgren said.

“The legal question isn’t even a close one,” she later added. “The President has clear legal authority to defer removals when it’s in the national interest. Chief Justice Roberts reaffirmed that principle just two years ago – our immigration laws recognize this authority – past Presidents have used this authority regularly. Our President is doing so now and I, for one, am grateful that he is.”

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/12/02/lofgren-defends-obama-at-immigration-hearing/feed/3Rep. Mike Honda schools Sen. Rand Paulhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/11/24/rep-mike-honda-schools-sen-rand-paul/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/11/24/rep-mike-honda-schools-sen-rand-paul/#commentsMon, 24 Nov 2014 17:39:55 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=28205U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Friday likened President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration to President Franklin Roosevelt’s action to put Japanese-Americans in internment camps during World War II. Rep. Mike Honda, D-San Jose, who as a child was forced to live in such a camp, issued a statement Monday taking the presidential aspirant [...]]]>

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Friday likened President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration to President Franklin Roosevelt’s action to put Japanese-Americans in internment camps during World War II. Rep. Mike Honda, D-San Jose, who as a child was forced to live in such a camp, issued a statement Monday taking the presidential aspirant to task.

“Rand Paul’s comments comparing President Obama’s executive order on Immigration with President Roosevelt’s executive order that imprisoned thousands of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II could not be more misguided. At best, he is confused. At worst, he is just wrong.

“President Roosevelt’s action was based on racism, fear, hysteria, war, and the lack of real political leadership. He succumbed to political pressure to deny Constitutional protections to 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry, two-thirds of who were US-born citizens.

“President Obama, on the other hand, through his commitment to immigration reform and American values, is using his Executive Order to include, not exclude, people. He is working to keep intact immigrant families who play by the rules, not exclude undocumented parents and other DACA eligible individuals.

“President Obama is showing true leadership by taking action when the Republican leadership of the House has failed to let Congress do so.

“The incarceration of US citizens of Japanese origin, including me and my family, was a misuse of executive order. As someone who as victim of executive order 9066, I can say without hesitation that Roosevelt was wrong. It was a misuse of power. President Obama’s order is an appropriate use of executive order because Congress did not do its job.

“Every President has the Constitutional right to use Executive Orders. What Senator Paul fails to say, recognize, or admit to, is the motive and outcome of the use of this power. President Obama is using this power correctly – President Roosevelt did not.”

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/11/24/rep-mike-honda-schools-sen-rand-paul/feed/15honda.jpgElecteds react to Obama’s immigration speechhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/11/20/electeds-react-to-obamas-immigration-speech/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/11/20/electeds-react-to-obamas-immigration-speech/#commentsFri, 21 Nov 2014 02:01:41 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=28199From House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio “The American people want both parties to focus on solving problems together; they don’t support unilateral action from a president who is more interested in partisan politics than working with the people’s elected representatives. That is not how American democracy works. Not long ago, President Obama said the unilateral [...]]]>

“The American people want both parties to focus on solving problems together; they don’t support unilateral action from a president who is more interested in partisan politics than working with the people’s elected representatives. That is not how American democracy works. Not long ago, President Obama said the unilateral action he just announced was ‘not an option’ and claimed he’d already ‘done everything that I can on my own.’ He said it would lead to a ‘surge in more illegal immigration.’ He said he was ‘not a king’ and ‘not the emperor’ and that he was ‘bound by the Constitution.’ He said an action like this would exceed his authority and be ‘difficult to justify legally.’ He may have changed his position, but that doesn’t change the Constitution.

“By ignoring the will of the American people, President Obama has cemented his legacy of lawlessness and squandered what little credibility he had left. His ‘my way or the highway’ approach makes it harder to build the trust with the American people that is necessary to get things done on behalf of the country. Republicans are left with the serious responsibility of upholding our oath of office. We will not shrink from this duty, because our allegiance lies with the American people. We will listen to them, work with our members, and protect the Constitution.”

“Tonight, President Obama announced bold action to bring our broken immigration system into line with our values as a people and our needs as a nation. The President’s Immigration Accountability Executive Actions will secure our borders, prioritize enforcement, and provide relief to millions of hard-working, law-abiding families who may now have a happy Thanksgiving free from the fear of separation.

“The President’s actions fall well within the clear constitutional and legal authority of his office, and the well-established precedent set by every president since Eisenhower. Even Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush used this authority to refine our immigration system in service of the national interest.

“Executive action is no substitute for legislation, and the President’s action does not absolve Congress of its own responsibility. Democrats will continue to demand action on bipartisan immigration legislation that will provide lasting certainty to immigrant families, and secure the billions of dollars in economic benefits Republicans’ inaction has denied our country.”

“The President doesn’t seem to get the point that he must work with the government he has, not the government he wants. But despite Congress and the American people’s resistance to President Obama’s unilateral action—action the President himself said would ‘violate our laws’ and be ‘very difficult to defend legally’—the President has decided to go it alone yet again. As President Obama himself said, ‘there are enough laws on the books by Congress that are very clear in terms of how we have to enforce our immigration system.’ We urge the President to listen to his own words. America is a country of laws, and our Constitution does not grant the President the authority to legalize millions of immigrants with the stroke of a pen.

“Not only is this action wrong, it does absolutely nothing to solve the underlying problems of our open border and broken immigration system. In fact, it may exacerbate the problem.

“The President’s action is a prime example of Washington cynicism. He has responded to Congress and the public’s desire for positive change with an all-or-nothing approach that only damages the prospect of future cooperation. He did not even attempt to start on the right foot and work with us in the new year.

“While House Republicans will still work to do everything we can to move the country forward, it is our obligation and responsibility to fight this brazen power grab that doesn’t solve the real problems.”

“The president tonight announced he will temporarily suspend deportation of some undocumented immigrants, allowing families to stay together and bringing workers out of the shadows. While I continue to believe the House should vote on the Senate bill to address this issue, I support the president’s decision to help millions of individuals who have lived in the United States for years.

“This decision is not ‘amnesty,’ as some critics contend, nor will anyone receive citizenship or a green card. The president is offering temporary work authorization and halting deportations of certain immigrants who have lived in the United States for at least five years, including parents of U.S. citizens and individuals who arrived before age 16. The authority he is using has been employed by every president since Eisenhower, including 14 times during the Reagan and Bush presidencies.

“While the president’s executive action will provide much-needed relief for immigrant families, a permanent solution can only be achieved by Congress. The Senate bill passed in June 2013 was painstakingly negotiated over many months and received 68 votes, including 14 Republicans. Unfortunately, House leadership has ignored this commonsense bill. I hope they reconsider.

“The president’s decision is especially important for California. According to the White House, more than 150,000 of California’s agricultural workers will likely be eligible for deferred action and temporary work authorization. This will help ensure that our farms can continue to feed the country and the world.

“I plan to re-introduce a bill similar to the agricultural worker provisions from the Senate bill as stand-alone legislation next year, which I believe will offer Congress a starting point for further action.”

“I applaud President Obama for stepping up and taking bold and constitutional action to bring people out of the shadows, thereby strengthening our economy and keeping families from being torn apart. These steps will increase border security and hold people accountable by requiring them to undergo background checks and pay taxes.

“The President has waited patiently for 17 months for House Republicans to act on a bipartisan immigration reform bill passed by two-thirds of the Senate. It is one thing if Republicans in Congress don’t want to do their job, but they can’t expect the President not to do his job.

“This President is following in the footsteps of every president of the last 70 years – including every Republican President – by taking executive action on immigration.

“If Republicans do not like the President’s actions, they shouldn’t be threatening to shut down the government or file wasteful lawsuits – they should just take up and pass the Senate’s bipartisan bill now.”

“I applaud President Obama for taking steps to fix our broken immigration system. These executive actions prioritize deporting felons not families, and will help restore trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. This action will extend the American Dream to millions of individuals who want to come out of the shadows.”

“Our broken immigration system desperately needs to be permanently and statutorily fixed. I have long and actively supported an immigration solution that will secure our border, strengthen our economy, reduce our debt, create safer communities and end the de facto amnesty we have today. That’s why I’ve cosponsored and introduced legislation to do just that and driven this message home among my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

“The President’s decision to bypass Congress and ignore the U.S. Constitution will only further erode trust and create greater obstacles to a lasting fix. Congress must be involved in fixing our broken system. His actions today deal a harsh blow to our efforts to establish real solutions.”

“In refusing to act, House Republicans have left President Obama little choice but to exercise his executive authority to make our broken immigration system work better. Long overdue, the common-sense actions announced this evening will update our immigration system to be more just, fair, and fitting for our 21st century economy.

“For too long, too many hard-working immigrants and their families have lived in fear. If House Republicans will not act, the President should bring certainty to these families. As a former prosecutor, I believe we should focus on removing violent criminals from our country, not breaking up families.

“Rather than protest with threats of impeachment and a government shutdown, I urge Republicans to take constructive, long-term legislative action on comprehensive immigration reform. The time to act is now.”

“Our immigration system is broken and tonight the president took steps to help fix it. However, executive actions alone cannot fix our broken immigration, nor are they a substitute for passing comprehensive immigration reform. Truly fixing our broken immigration system will require congressional action.

“The Senate passed bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform legislation more than 500 days ago. It’s been more than a year since we introduced bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the House. Not only is passing this tough, fair, comprehensive immigration reform legislation the right thing to do for our country and in line with our nation’s most fundamental principles, it will boost our economy and lower our debt. Yet given more than 500 days to act, the House Majority still refuses to vote. It’s past time Republicans in the House put the needs of our country ahead of partisan politics and vote to pass comprehensive immigration reform.”

“Today, President Obama has taken an important first step towards fixing our broken immigration system with his executive action. I applaud his decision to implement programs that will delay the deportations of up to 5 million people. This will make our immigration system more fair, humane, and workable. It is unfortunate that he was forced to take this action because Speaker John Boehner has not allowed the House to do its job and vote on Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

“There are many areas needed for true immigration reform that this executive action does not immediately address, including the backlog of visa petitions filed by citizens and green card holders, an increase in H-1B visas that attract the top business and tech talent to Silicon Valley and the nation, and reducing the employment visa backlog. This is why we need a full immigration reform package to be passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. I look forward to seeing the recommendations that the President’s interagency group and task force come up with to address these challenges.

“Right now, 11 million people in this country are living in fear because they currently are undocumented. These are parents, children, community leaders, workers, business leaders, who want nothing more than a chance to contribute fully to our society, pursue the American Dream that has always drawn immigrants to our shores, and live their lives to the fullest.

“Our businesses need to be able to attract high-skilled workers from around the globe to stay competitive and improve our economy; and those workers need a way to have their families join them in America.

“It is time for the House to take up, and pass, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform package that the Senate passed 16 months ago. The Republican House leadership, and Speaker Boehner, have prevented Congress from doing our job by allowing a vote. We know that enough Republicans in the House support this measure so that it would pass. This would bring 11 million people out of the shadows and put $1 billion into our economy. It would also give us an immigration system that truly reflects the family values and principles inherent in our immigrant communities and national character.

“Immigration has been one of my top priorities since I was first elected to Congress. I believe in an immigration system that respects the dignity of immigrant communities and recognizes their contributions to American society. I know we can make Silicon Valley, and our nation, stronger by upholding our values and principles and honoring the entrepreneurial spirit of the American dream.”

“Congressional Republicans’ unwillingness to govern has left the President no choice but to act. Our immigration system is broken; weakening our economy, threatening our national security and tearing families apart. Afraid of upsetting the intolerant Tea Party, House Republicans have ignored their responsibilities by refusing to take up the bipartisan bill passed by the Senate almost two years ago. I joined with my Democratic colleagues to try to force a vote but we could not convince enough Republicans to join us.

“The President said tonight that the American people will no longer tolerate inaction from Washington. His plan is both reasonable and legal. It shifts our resources towards increased security by strengthening our borders and prioritizing the deportation of violent criminals and felons. It also demonstrates our true national values by keeping families together.

“There is still more work to be done. This plan is a good first step but it does not fully address all of our immigration problems. It does not go far enough to protect our local economy by ensuring that the agriculture industry has access to a stable workforce. However, the President’s announcement will force Congress to finally address our broken immigration system. The President and the American people will no longer let Republicans duck the issue. Inaction, more grid-lock or another government shutdown are not the answer. A vote now on the Senate’s bipartisan bill is the only responsible thing to do.”

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/11/20/electeds-react-to-obamas-immigration-speech/feed/17Talking pointsObama’s immigration speech: video & transcripthttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/11/20/obamas-immigration-speech-video-transcript/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/11/20/obamas-immigration-speech-video-transcript/#commentsFri, 21 Nov 2014 01:25:23 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=28196Full transcript of remarks as prepared, after the jump… My fellow Americans, tonight, I’d like to talk with you about immigration. For more than 200 years, our tradition of welcoming immigrants from around the world has given us a tremendous advantage over other nations. It’s kept us youthful, dynamic, and entrepreneurial. It has shaped our [...]]]>

Full transcript of remarks as prepared, after the jump…

My fellow Americans, tonight, I’d like to talk with you about immigration.

For more than 200 years, our tradition of welcoming immigrants from around the world has given us a tremendous advantage over other nations. It’s kept us youthful, dynamic, and entrepreneurial. It has shaped our character as a people with limitless possibilities – people not trapped by our past, but able to remake ourselves as we choose.

But today, our immigration system is broken, and everybody knows it.

Families who enter our country the right way and play by the rules watch others flout the rules. Business owners who offer their workers good wages and benefits see the competition exploit undocumented immigrants by paying them far less. All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America. And undocumented immigrants who desperately want to embrace those responsibilities see little option but to remain in the shadows, or risk their families being torn apart.

It’s been this way for decades. And for decades, we haven’t done much about it.

When I took office, I committed to fixing this broken immigration system. And I began by doing what I could to secure our borders. Today, we have more agents and technology deployed to secure our southern border than at any time in our history. And over the past six years, illegal border crossings have been cut by more than half. Although this summer, there was a brief spike in unaccompanied children being apprehended at our border, the number of such children is now actually lower than it’s been in nearly two years. Overall, the number of people trying to cross our border illegally is at its lowest level since the 1970s. Those are the facts.

Meanwhile, I worked with Congress on a comprehensive fix, and last year, 68 Democrats, Republicans, and Independents came together to pass a bipartisan bill in the Senate. It wasn’t perfect. It was a compromise, but it reflected common sense. It would have doubled the number of border patrol agents, while giving undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship if they paid a fine, started paying their taxes, and went to the back of the line. And independent experts said that it would help grow our economy and shrink our deficits.

Had the House of Representatives allowed that kind of a bill a simple yes-or-no vote, it would have passed with support from both parties, and today it would be the law. But for a year and a half now, Republican leaders in the House have refused to allow that simple vote.

Now, I continue to believe that the best way to solve this problem is by working together to pass that kind of common sense law. But until that happens, there are actions I have the legal authority to take as President – the same kinds of actions taken by Democratic and Republican Presidents before me – that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just.

Tonight, I am announcing those actions.

First, we’ll build on our progress at the border with additional resources for our law enforcement personnel so that they can stem the flow of illegal crossings, and speed the return of those who do cross over.

Second, I will make it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants, graduates, and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to our economy, as so many business leaders have proposed.

Third, we’ll take steps to deal responsibly with the millions of undocumented immigrants who already live in our country.

I want to say more about this third issue, because it generates the most passion and controversy. Even as we are a nation of immigrants, we are also a nation of laws. Undocumented workers broke our immigration laws, and I believe that they must be held accountable – especially those who may be dangerous. That’s why, over the past six years, deportations of criminals are up 80 percent. And that’s why we’re going to keep focusing enforcement resources on actual threats to our security. Felons, not families. Criminals, not children. Gang members, not a mother who’s working hard to provide for her kids. We’ll prioritize, just like law enforcement does every day.

But even as we focus on deporting criminals, the fact is, millions of immigrants – in every state, of every race and nationality – will still live here illegally. And let’s be honest – tracking down, rounding up, and deporting millions of people isn’t realistic. Anyone who suggests otherwise isn’t being straight with you. It’s also not who we are as Americans. After all, most of these immigrants have been here a long time. They work hard, often in tough, low-paying jobs. They support their families. They worship at our churches. Many of their kids are American-born or spent most of their lives here, and their hopes, dreams, and patriotism are just like ours.

As my predecessor, President Bush, once put it: “They are a part of American life.”

Now here’s the thing: we expect people who live in this country to play by the rules. We expect that those who cut the line will not be unfairly rewarded. So we’re going to offer the following deal: If you’ve been in America for more than five years; if you have children who are American citizens or legal residents; if you register, pass a criminal background check, and you’re willing to pay your fair share of taxes – you’ll be able to apply to stay in this country temporarily, without fear of deportation. You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law.

That’s what this deal is. Now let’s be clear about what it isn’t. This deal does not apply to anyone who has come to this country recently. It does not apply to anyone who might come to America illegally in the future. It does not grant citizenship, or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive – only Congress can do that. All we’re saying is we’re not going to deport you.

I know some of the critics of this action call it amnesty. Well, it’s not. Amnesty is the immigration system we have today – millions of people who live here without paying their taxes or playing by the rules, while politicians use the issue to scare people and whip up votes at election time.

That’s the real amnesty – leaving this broken system the way it is. Mass amnesty would be unfair. Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character. What I’m describing is accountability – a commonsense, middle ground approach: If you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. If you’re a criminal, you’ll be deported. If you plan to enter the U.S. illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up.

The actions I’m taking are not only lawful, they’re the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican President and every single Democratic President for the past half century. And to those Members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill. I want to work with both parties to pass a more permanent legislative solution. And the day I sign that bill into law, the actions I take will no longer be necessary. Meanwhile, don’t let a disagreement over a single issue be a dealbreaker on every issue. That’s not how our democracy works, and Congress certainly shouldn’t shut down our government again just because we disagree on this. Americans are tired of gridlock. What our country needs from us right now is a common purpose – a higher purpose.

Most Americans support the types of reforms I’ve talked about tonight. But I understand the disagreements held by many of you at home. Millions of us, myself included, go back generations in this country, with ancestors who put in the painstaking work to become citizens. So we don’t like the notion that anyone might get a free pass to American citizenship. I know that some worry immigration will change the very fabric of who we are, or take our jobs, or stick it to middle-class families at a time when they already feel like they’ve gotten the raw end of the deal for over a decade. I hear these concerns. But that’s not what these steps would do. Our history and the facts show that immigrants are a net plus for our economy and our society. And I believe it’s important that all of us have this debate without impugning each other’s character.

Because for all the back-and-forth of Washington, we have to remember that this debate is about something bigger. It’s about who we are as a country, and who we want to be for future generations.

Are we a nation that tolerates the hypocrisy of a system where workers who pick our fruit and make our beds never have a chance to get right with the law? Or are we a nation that gives them a chance to make amends, take responsibility, and give their kids a better future?

Are we a nation that accepts the cruelty of ripping children from their parents’ arms? Or are we a nation that values families, and works to keep them together?

Are we a nation that educates the world’s best and brightest in our universities, only to send them home to create businesses in countries that compete against us? Or are we a nation that encourages them to stay and create jobs, businesses, and industries right here in America?

That’s what this debate is all about. We need more than politics as usual when it comes to immigration; we need reasoned, thoughtful, compassionate debate that focuses on our hopes, not our fears.

I know the politics of this issue are tough. But let me tell you why I have come to feel so strongly about it. Over the past few years, I have seen the determination of immigrant fathers who worked two or three jobs, without taking a dime from the government, and at risk at any moment of losing it all, just to build a better life for their kids. I’ve seen the heartbreak and anxiety of children whose mothers might be taken away from them just because they didn’t have the right papers. I’ve seen the courage of students who, except for the circumstances of their birth, are as American as Malia or Sasha; students who bravely come out as undocumented in hopes they could make a difference in a country they love. These people – our neighbors, our classmates, our friends – they did not come here in search of a free ride or an easy life. They came to work, and study, and serve in our military, and above all, contribute to America’s success.

Tomorrow, I’ll travel to Las Vegas and meet with some of these students, including a young woman named Astrid Silva. Astrid was brought to America when she was four years old. Her only possessions were a cross, her doll, and the frilly dress she had on. When she started school, she didn’t speak any English. She caught up to the other kids by reading newspapers and watching PBS, and became a good student. Her father worked in landscaping. Her mother cleaned other people’s homes. They wouldn’t let Astrid apply to a technology magnet school for fear the paperwork would out her as an undocumented immigrant – so she applied behind their back and got in. Still, she mostly lived in the shadows – until her grandmother, who visited every year from Mexico, passed away, and she couldn’t travel to the funeral without risk of being found out and deported. It was around that time she decided to begin advocating for herself and others like her, and today, Astrid Silva is a college student working on her third degree.

Are we a nation that kicks out a striving, hopeful immigrant like Astrid – or are we a nation that finds a way to welcome her in?

Scripture tells us that we shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger – we were strangers once, too.

My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too. And whether our forebears were strangers who crossed the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or the Rio Grande, we are here only because this country welcomed them in, and taught them that to be an American is about something more than what we look like, or what our last names are, or how we worship. What makes us Americans is our shared commitment to an ideal – that all of us are created equal, and all of us have the chance to make of our lives what we will.

That’s the country our parents and grandparents and generations before them built for us. That’s the tradition we must uphold. That’s the legacy we must leave for those who are yet to come.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless this country we love.

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/11/20/obamas-immigration-speech-video-transcript/feed/3Dems urge Obama to act on immigrationhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/11/17/dems-urge-obama-to-act-on-immigration/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/11/17/dems-urge-obama-to-act-on-immigration/#commentsMon, 17 Nov 2014 21:29:30 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=28146U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer added her voice Monday to the chorus of Democrats urging President Obama to move forward with immigration reform by executive action. “For 17 months, you have been very patient with House Republican leaders, encouraging them to either take up and pass the bipartisan Senate bill or work with you to craft [...]]]>

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer added her voice Monday to the chorus of Democrats urging President Obama to move forward with immigration reform by executive action.

“For 17 months, you have been very patient with House Republican leaders, encouraging them to either take up and pass the bipartisan Senate bill or work with you to craft a different bill,” Boxer, D-Calif., wrote in her letter to the president.

“Mr. President, I don’t remember hearing one Republican in Congress complain when Republican presidents took executive action on immigration,” she continued. “I urge you to ignore the angry voices of the do-nothing crowd in Congress who have repeatedly blocked progress on immigration reform. If they really cared about fixing our broken immigration system, they would not be threatening to shut down the government or file wasteful lawsuits – they would just do their job and pass comprehensive immigration reform.”

Last week, 117 House Democrats – including all Bay Area members except House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco – sent a letter to President Obama urging him to take executive action.

“As you have said, it is ultimately the job of Congress to reform our broken immigration system by enacting legislation,” the lawmakers wrote. “But by failing to do their job – and repeatedly interfering with your efforts to do your job – congressional Republicans threaten to take our immigration system hostage and preserve a status quo that everyone agrees is unacceptable. Their failure to act must not inhibit your commitment to governing.”

“We will stand with you as you take bold and meaningful action, consistent with existing law and historical precedent, to protect American families, strengthen local communities and grow the economy,” they wrote.

At House Democrats news conference Thursday, Pelosi urged the president to act as well. “I don’t think there’s any question that the President can act administratively, take executive action.”

That same day, Rep. Jeff Denham – one of only three House Republicans to co-sponsor the House version of a bipartisan immigration bill that the Senate approved June 2013 – told Al Jazeera America that executive action is the wrong answer.

“It is hard to pass legislation of any kind without being able to trust the Commander in Chief on whether he’s going to implement the will of Congress and ultimately the will of the American people,” said Denham, R-Turlock, adding immigration is a complex issue that will require a package of bills brought forth at the same time. “This is a long term-problem that we’ve got to fix in Congress.”

“These children face a daunting immigration process in a foreign legal system without any legal representation. A kid is a kid, and should be shown compassion regardless of where they were born,” Steinberg said in a news release. “I’m exceptionally grateful to my team and all other volunteering attorneys for taking unpaid time away from their families to ensure that these children receive fair and due process.”

Steinberg noted that many if not most of these children don’t speak English or understand the U.S. legal system, yet some have been requested to appear in courts, sometimes in other states, with less than 48 hours of notice. Those who fail to appear risk deportation orders and a swift return to the violent regions from which they originally fled, he said.

Heather Poole, chair of AILA’s Southern California Chapter, wrote to an immigration court that the timeline reduces the children’s chance to find legal counsel and so compromises their due-process rights.

“These unaccompanied children are in desperate need of competent immigration representation to ensure that every child’s case is thoroughly vetted before an immigration judge before a swift removal takes place to a potentially dangerous place where their safety will be at risk,” she wrote. “Due to political pressure and directives, the immigration courts are now prioritizing these cases on the court’s docket, which has led to fast hearings and some with little notice for many children who remain unrepresented by counsel, having no funds or connections. It is important, more than ever, that we have volunteers from the legal community participate in this humanitarian crisis to ensure that justice is served.”

Steinberg earlier this month led other lawmakers on a fact-finding visit to El Salvador and Guatemala, where they met with national leaders to discuss the gang, drug and other conditions that have led to more than 57,000 minors arriving at the U.S. border since October 2013.

]]>http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/07/30/steinberg-staffers-will-represent-immigrant-kids/feed/4Santa Clara County ready to help immigrant kidshttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/07/16/santa-clara-county-ready-to-help-immigrant-kids/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/07/16/santa-clara-county-ready-to-help-immigrant-kids/#commentsWed, 16 Jul 2014 16:46:57 +0000Josh Richmanhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/?p=27319Santa Clara County stands ready to help efforts to care for unaccompanied Central American children flooding to the U.S. border, some local officials and members of Congress said Wednesday. U.S. Representatives Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose; Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto; and Mike Honda, D-San Jose, joined with San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, Santa Clara County Supervisors [...]]]>

Santa Clara County stands ready to help efforts to care for unaccompanied Central American children flooding to the U.S. border, some local officials and members of Congress said Wednesday.

“Small children and refugees fleeing violence in their home countries require our support, not our acrimony. And where other communities may turn these needy children away, our community is ready and willing to be compassionate,” the officials said. “We urge communities in the Bay Area, throughout the State of California, and across the nation to join us to make good on America’s promise of fairness and due process.”

Cortese and Liccardo, incidentally, are rivals in November’s San Jose mayoral election.

Law requires that every unaccompanied child, as a part of a deportation proceeding, is entitled to an evaluation to ascertain whether they are victims of human trafficking, have been abandoned or are eligible for asylum because of persecution. If not eligible, they will be returned home. But until this examination is complete, these children will remain in the United States.